Sunday, October 30, 2016

Bookish Thoughts: Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates (Audio)

This was a grand adventure, I told myself. ~ Opening of Brownies and Broomsticks



Brownies and Broomsticks (Magical Bakery Mystery #1) by Bailey Cates, Narrated by Johanna Parker
Signet/NAL, 2012 (Tantor Audio, 2013)
Crime Fiction (Paranormal/Cozy); 7 hrs and 4 minutes

Brownies and Broomsticks is a fun romp of mystery and magic. I enjoyed settling in as Johanna Parker read Bailey Cates's novel featuring Katie Lightfoot, who recently moved to Savannah, Georgia to work in her aunt and uncle's bakery. Katie is a master in the kitchen, baking irresistible treats I am sure I would not be able to refuse. She has also just learned she is a witch. When Katie's uncle becomes the prime suspect in a murder of a not-so-well-liked woman in town, Katie is determined to investigate on her own.

While Katie probably should leave things to the police (Detective Quinn seems more than capable), she does uncover helpful clues that point her in an altogether different direction than her uncle. Nosiness aside, Katie generally remembers to take someone along with her when the situation seems questionable. Whether it be a fellow witch from her aunt's coven, or DeClan McCarthy, a local firefighter, and Steve Dawes, the local reporter, who are both more than willing to help when Katie calls. Of course, the two men's interest goes behind just wanting to be neighborly. Katie herself is coming off a bad relationship and unwilling to get involved with someone else just yet--but she's not above finding both men rather attractive.

I enjoyed getting to know Katie and the cast of characters in Brownies and Broomsticks. From the eccentric coven members who all have their own interesting backstories to the residents in the dead woman's apartment complex, DeClan and Dawes, Detective Quinn, and some of the Honeybee costumers, it was hard not to be taken in by the charm of them all.

I felt that the mystery was well done. While I had my suspicions who was behind the murder, the reality was  bit more complicated than that. I liked the introduction of magic and the way it was used to help solve the crime. I also appreciated Katie's initial disbelief--who wouldn't be skeptical having grown up in a world without magic?

This seems a perfect choice for this time of year, with Halloween and all. It was a quick listen and likely would be a quick read. I enjoyed Johanna Parker's narration and would be interested in listening to more of her work. While perhaps not a stand out cozy read, Bailey Cates's Brownies and Broomsticks kept me entertained and I wouldn't mind spending more time with Katie and her new coven.


To learn more about Bailey Cates (aka Cricket McRae & Bailey Catrell) and her work, please visit the author's website. You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.


© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Bookish Thoughts: The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman

The London air was full of smog and filth. ~ Opening of The Masked City


The Masked City (The Invisible Library #2) by Genevieve Cogman
Tor, 2015
Fantasy; 352 pgs



[I did my best to avoid any major spoilers of the first book in the series in writing this review.]

The Invisible Library series is becoming a fast favorite. I love how cool under pressure Irene is, not to mention resourceful. If ever there was a heroine I would like to have on my side, I would ask for Irene in a heartbeat--especially seeing her in action in The Masked City, the second in the series. Heck, I wouldn't mind being Irene.

Irene is a Librarian attached to a Library whose doorways lead into multiple dimensions. She is one of many whose job it is to protect and preserve books, in part to protect humanity and help maintain the balance between Order and Chaos. Recently assigned as a Librarian-in-Residence, she is happy to settle down roots for a change. 

When Irene's apprentice and friend, Kai, is kidnapped by the fae in the alternate London they have been calling home most recently, she must piece together what happened and where he's gone. To fail could mean war between two powerful and magical species, putting at risk many innocent lives. With such high stakes, the Library isn't willing to intervene to save Kai, but they won't stop Irene from trying.

With the help of the not so trustworthy fae Lord Silver, Irene travels to an alternate Venice where the Carnival never ends. It is deep in chaos and controlled by the fae. Author Genevieve Cogman's world has many nuances to it, and I especially enjoyed exploring the history and hierarchy of the fae in this installment in the series. If I had any complaints about this novel, it would be that I wish I could have spent more time with Aunt Isra and the other students Irene met in her travels.

I enjoyed The Invisible Library so much that I jumped right into The Masked City, a book I ended up liking even more. Dragons, the fae, magic, mystery, and the Library . . . what more could I ask for in a fantasy novel? Irene is no damsel in distress. She can take care of herself. And I'm quite fond of characters Kai and Private Investigator Vale too. The Masked City an adventure, light and fun, and a great way to spend some time. I cannot wait to dive into the third book in the series.

To learn more about Genevieve Cogman and her work, please visit the author's website. You can also find her on Twitter and Goodreads  


© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Bookish Thoughts: The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

Irene passed the mop across the stone floor in smooth, careful strokes, idly admiring the gleam of wet flagstones in the lantern light. ~ Opening from The Invisible Library



The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
Roc, 2015
Fantasy (Crime Fiction, Urban); 352 pgs
Source: E-copy provided by publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Goodreads Synopsis: 
Irene must be at the top of her game or she'll be off the case - permanently . . .  
Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, which harvests fiction from different realities. And along with her enigmatic assistant Kai, she's posted to an alternative London. Their mission - to retrieve a dangerous book. But when they arrive, it's already been stolen. London's underground factions seem prepared to fight to the very death to find her book. 
Adding to the jeopardy, this world is chaos-infested - the laws of nature bent to allow supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic. Irene's new assistant is also hiding secrets of his own.  
Soon, she's up to her eyebrows in a heady mix of danger, clues and secret societies. Yet failure is not an option - the nature of reality itself is at stake.

What a fun book! A couple people mentioned to me when I was starting this one that it got off to a slow start for them, but I did not find that at all. There was a bit of a slow down when Irene returns to the Library after the book's opening mission that had me trying to work out just what sort of "world" this Library was exactly, but once Irene, joined by her new apprentice Kai, steps into the alternate reality of their latest mission, I was definitely right there with them. 

There is so much to this world Genevieve Cogman has created! The Library itself is an amazing place. People do not age there and it seems endless, taking days and sometimes weeks or months to travel from one place to another. You can travel for days within the Library and not see a single soul. And then the many alternate realities outside the walls of the library--imagine all the directions Cogman can go with the series if she chose to. The Library's purpose seems a bit vague--meaning I think there is more to it than what our main protagonist Irene knows herself. Irene is one of many Librarians sent out on missions to retrieve books from various alternate realities. The Library helps maintain the balance in the world, trying to stave off chaos and help maintain order. 

Generally Librarians are chosen from various realities and bound to the Library and its mission--like Kai, an apprentice not yet Librarian, who was once a ruffian running and stealing with criminals and thugs. Very rare, is someone like Irene, who was born to two Librarians, and spent part of her growing up years in the Library itself. Her entire life has been spent in the service of the Library. She is very dedicated to her work and extremely capable. She has limited, but powerful, magical abilities, which she draws out using a special language only known to Librarians.

The reality Kai and Irene step into has a sort of Steampunk Victorian feel to it. There are Zeppelins flying overhead, vampires, werewolves, and the fae. The fae are a particularly chaotic force, making this version of London unbalanced--and dangerous. There's even a famous private detective who lives on Baker Street who Irene and Kai will have to decide to trust or not. 

This is a busy book in terms of the amount of action and events taking place. The analogy of a roller-coaster comes to mind, given all the ups and downs and the fast pacing. In search for the book, Irene and Kai encounter a number of obstacles, including the glamorous fae, Lord Silver, who also has an interest in the missing book. It seems a lot of people do, actually. I had a lot of fun reading The Invisible Library and getting to know the mysterious Kai, the well-read Librarian spy Irene, and Vale, the tenacious master of deduction. This will not be my last visit to the Library.

To learn more about Genevieve Cogman and her work, please visit the author's website. You can also find her on Twitter and Goodreads.


© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Bookish Thoughts: A Black Sail by Rich Zahradnik

The NYPD Harbor Launch Patrolman Crane thudded over the waves toward the Brooklyn docks. ~ Opening of A Black Sail


A Black Sail (Coleridge Taylor Mystery #3) by Rich Zahradnik
Camel Press, 2016
Crime Fiction (Historical); 264 pgs
Source: E-copy provided by publisher for an honest review.

Reporter Coleridge Taylor would much rather be on the crime beat, but with the country's attention on the upcoming U.S. Bicentennial, his time and attention is focused on the ships and vessels coming into the New York Harbor. While on assignment on a Harbor Patrol boat, the body of a housewife is found in the harbor, drugs strapped to her body. Taylor's interest is piqued. Especially as rumors surface of a possible drug war between the Italian Mafia and the Chinese Tong. Taylor has a way of finding trouble . . . and the truth.

It was good to see Samantha Callahan, Taylor's girlfriend, again, who in introduced in the second book of the series, Drop Dead Punk. She's more likely to be found coming to his rescue than he to hers. She is smart and a good influence on Taylor.

Zahradnik does an amazing job of setting the scene for A Black Sail, capturing the tone and atmosphere of New York during July of 1976. This is one of the aspects I like most about Rich Zahradnik's books. He never fails to make me feel as if I am a part of the story and history he writes about. The author uses words to paint a clear picture of the time period, a time of celebration and excitement, one of hope for the future. But the crime and grit is still there, underneath. New York City is a city barely saved from the brink of ruin. Taylor knows that all too well as he struggles with figuring out what to do with his career, feeling stuck but wanting more. 

A Black Sail is the third book in the Coleridge Taylor series by Rich Zahradnik, and can be read as a stand alone. Taylor continues to be one of my favorite series' characters with his strong sense of doing the right thing and finding the truth even as he strives to get the story. I have enjoyed this series from book one, and Zahradnik continues to deliver with each installment.

Last Words (Coleridge Taylor Mystery #1)
Drop Dead Punk (Coleridge Taylor Mystery #2)

To learn more about Rich Zahradnik, and his work, please visit the author's website.


© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Monday, October 17, 2016

Bookish Thoughts: Blame It On the Cowboy by Delores Fossen


Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a book they are reading or thinking about reading soon. It is also where I share my first impressions about the book I am sharing.

Logan McCord hated two things: clowns and liars. Tonight, he saw both right in front of him on the antique desk in Langford's Interior Designs, and he knew his life had changed forever. He would never look at a red squeaky nose the same way again.

Every Tuesday, Jenn from Books And A Beat hosts Teaser Tuesdays at which time participants grab their current read, open to a random page, and share two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page while avoiding any spoilers.



Teaser from 4% (much longer than usual because I couldn't resist):
"What about an address?" Logan kept trying.
"I'm not really supposed to give that out--"
"She left something very expensive in the room, and I know she'll want it back."
The guy hemmed and hawed a little, but he finally rattled off, "221B Baker Street, London, England."
That was Sherlock Holmes's address.
Logan groaned and cursed. He didn't bother asking for a phone number because the one she left was probably for Hogwarts. 
What do you think? Would you keep reading?

My Review:

Blame It On the Cowboy (The McCord Brothers #3) by Delores Fossen
HQN, 2016
Romance; 384 pgs

One night stand scenarios that turn into love are not my favorite romance trope, but Delores Fossen won me over pretty quickly. Both rancher Logan McCord and chef Reese Stephens are both in crisis: Logan from finding his girlfriend having sex with another man just as he was hoping to propose to her, and Reese is fulfilling an item on her bucket list (to have sex with a "hot cowboy"), having just been diagnosed with a brain tumor, her death being imminent. The two meet in a bar and fall into bed shortly thereafter. No names are exchanged, not even identifying details. The morning after, Logan sees Reese slip something into his pocket. It turns out to be an antique pocket watch.

Months pass before their paths cross again. Reese's diagnosis had been a mistake, and she is as healthy as can be. She's slowly getting her life back together. The watch means everything to her, having once been her grandfather's. She sets out to find the "Hot Cowboy" based on very few clues. Logan is suspicious when he sees Reese again, sure she is up to no good. The two do not exactly get off to a good second start. He's from money. She's got a shady background and comes from the wrong side of the tracks. Neither of them are looking for love, but the attraction between them is undeniable. 

While Blame It On a Cowboy may appear to be a straight forward cowboy romance, Delores Fossen takes it to another level, adding intrigue and suspense that had me turning pages late into the night. I just had to know what was going to happen next. Reese's past catches up with her, and it's lucky she is in the small town of Spring Hill, Texas.

Reese and Logan are great characters. They both carry regret and guilt from their pasts, however misplaced. Reese doesn't imagine a guy like Logan could want anything to do with her, much less love her. She leads a transient lifestyle, moving from town to town, never settling down for long. I liked her resourcefulness. Reese is a strong woman, having had to overcome a lot, relying mostly on herself. She does have one friend who knows all about her sordid past, the sassy and beautiful Jimena. Although I imagine they look nothing alike, Jimena reminded me of Lula from Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series.

Logan definitely comes across as that hot cowboy, as Reese and Jimena call him. It was impossible not to feel terrible for him when he walks in on his girlfriend and the clown just at the moment he is about to propose. He's angry, upset and feeling betrayed. Running his family business has always been Logan's top priority next to his family, and he loses himself even more in his work after that incident. He doesn't trust anyone easily, but when he cares about someone, he will go to great lengths to protect them.

This novel has quite a few unexpected twists and turns. I admit to thinking there might have been too many as they just kept coming--but in the end, it worked, everyone getting what they deserved. Delores Fossen's novel has a little bit of everything: romance, suspense, comedy, a bit of action, and plenty of drama. Blame It On the Cowboy is the 3rd in the McCord series, and I will definitely be looking for the earlier books I've missed.


To learn more about Delores Fossen and her work, please visit the author's websiteShe can also be found on GoodreadsFacebook and Twitter.


I hope you will check out what others had to say about Blame It On the Cowboy on the TLC Book Tours route!


Many thanks to the TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to be a part of this book tour.  Review copy provided by publisher for an honest review.




© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Saturday, October 15, 2016

Sunday Post: An Afternoon at Hogwarts

I had one of those weeks. On a particularly bad day, my husband texted me to ask if I needed anything from the store, and I replied, "A big bottle of wine." Which, says something since I do not drink alcohol. The evening continued to be a bad one. Mouse was in a mood, which did nothing to help mine. Then my husband came home and handed me the bottle--and it made everything better. Nothing cures a bad day like Martinelli's Sparkling Cider. 


New to My Shelves:

My October My Lit Box arrived in the mail late last week. It's another good one!


The Story of a Brief Marriage by Anuk Arudpragasam
and
QA A Day 5 Year Journal


What I Am Reading: I have barely cracked open my book all week (or last week for that matter), but I swear it wasn't the book's fault. I finally was able to finish Amy Stewart's Lady Cop Makes Trouble inside the mall of all places. I talked my husband and daughter into leaving me on a bench outside the Jump 'n Jammin play area while they went inside for some fun, where I could watch the bags (I swear my daughter goes through shoes and pants like there is no tomorrow--she really wears them out!) and read. This Sunday I plan to start A Dark and Stormy Murder by Julia Buckley, my October TBR List Poll winner.


What I Am Listening To: The week before last, I listened to Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates, narrated by Johanna Parker. It was the perfect selection for this time of year--light and funny, mixed with murder and magic in Savannah, Georgia.  I took a darker turn this past week and am now listening to a thriller, Tim Johnston's Descent, narrated by Xe Sands and R.C. Bray.


What's Going On Off the Blog: Work has been crazy busy. Some major changes came down last week that were quite unexpected, even for those directly involved. More changes are coming, but that's the name of the game. Nothing is ever static for long in my agency.

My absentee ballot came in the mail this past week. My husband and I are planning to sit down and vote. By the time you are reading this, maybe we already have. Now if only the political calls and ads would stop . . .


Mouse and I attended her school's Fall Festival the Friday before last. She had a blast. We ran into several of her school friends, which made her evening. We enjoyed games, snow cones, balloon animals, and arts and crafts.

My brother and his wife were visiting last week, and we had a nice time together. They recently suffered a big loss and this trip was much needed. They were able to see one of Mouse's soccer games and we spent an afternoon at Universal Studios in Hollywood. The park has grown so much since we were last there, some twenty years ago. We barely touched the surface of it. One thing we did make sure to do, however, was visit Hogsmeade. What fun! We had a wonderful time. Mouse even got to meet students from the Durmstrang Institute and Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. The Butterbeer was quite tasty. My brother and his wife each had two!


 Where are we headed next?

 Beauxbatons Academy of Magic Performers

 Durmstrang Institute Performers

Hogwarts Express 


 Hogwarts

 The Sorting Hat

Inside the Halls and Stairways of Hogwarts


The Past Two Weeks In Reading Mews:

Around the Blogosphere:

What are you up to this weekend? Are you reading anything you would recommend? 

I hope you all have a great week! Happy Reading!



The Sunday Post is hosted by the wonderful Kimba, the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, and gives us all a chance to recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. 


© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Bookish Thoughts: Love Anthony by Lisa Genova

It's Columbus Day weekend, and they lucked out with gorgeous weather, an Indian-summer day in October. ~ Opening of Love Anthony


Love Anthony by Lisa Genova
Gallery Books, 2012
Fiction; 309 pgs

Still Alice had been a difficult read for me because of how close to home it hit. My grandmother suffered from Vascular Dementia the last ten years of her life and my paternal grandfather from Alzheimer's Disease. My husband's uncle had early onset Alzheimer's, which progressed quickly. I still haven't seen the film, Still Alice, and am not sure I will. Reading the book was difficult enough (but very good!). 

Love Anthony was a difficult read for another reason. It hit on two of my hot button issues I do not like to read about: infidelity and the death of a child. This makes the second book this year from my Postal Mail Group that has dealt with difficult for me topics. The other I couldn't get past and it ruined what was likely a good book otherwise. Luckily that wasn't the case with Love Anthony.

Love Anthony follows the stories of two women, both of them mothers whose lives have taken terrible turns. For Beth, it was discovering her husband was having an affair with another woman. Her perfect world is suddenly shattered. She feels lost, unsure of who she is anymore. The man she trusted and loved and had three children with is not the man she thought he was. Then there is Olivia who recently lost her eight year old son. Anthony was diagnosed with autism at age three. He was nonverbal throughout his short life, and Olivia and her husband struggled for many years to adjust to his diagnosis. They tried every treatment, and it wore on them personally as well as on their marriage. Olivia dearly loved her son, and his loss, as would be expected, devastated her. Isolating herself in the family home in Nantucket, Olivia tries to come to terms with the loss of her child and her marriage.

A parent's worst nightmare is losing a child. My heart instantly went out to Olivia. Her grief is complicated by her feelings of regret and unanswered questions about her son's very existence. Olivia remembers her life with Anthony, the struggles she had with him, wanting to connect with him, hoping she was doing so, but unable to tell if she did. Author Lisa Genova expertly gets into the head of a woman suffering not only the loss of a child, but also of a mother raising an autistic boy. We see her pain and frustration, her heartbreak and grief. We also experience her love and joy. 

On the outside, Beth's life appears perfect. She's married with three girls and has a great group of friends. In fact, we first meet Beth's friends at their book club meeting. Her life hasn't been without its ups and downs, but things seem be going well. Or so she thought until she discovered her husband's infidelity. I felt for Beth, and I empathized with her inner conflict. She truly loves her husband, but the loss of trust in him, the betrayal she feels, is something that isn't easily overcome. If there is any sympathy I am supposed to feel towards Beth's husband, it is completely lost on me given my strong feelings about infidelity. Just the same, it isn't hard to see why their relationship unraveled. 

In her grief over her marriage, Beth finds an old story she'd written that had been hidden in the attic. She suddenly finds herself wanting to continue that story. Written from the perspective of an autistic boy, Beth's novel quickly begins to take shape. The boy at the heart of her story is eerily similar to Olivia's son, the novel story mirroring Olivia's life. I admit, I found this to be one of the weakest points in the novel--how this comes about and what happens after.

I had expected Olivia and Beth's characters to intersect sooner than they actually did. The reader gets to know each of them in alternating chapters, as well as through Olivia's journal entries from her son's childhood and Beth's novel as she writes it. It isn't until late in the novel the two women come together, but it doesn't make their story any less compelling.

Love Anthony is both heartbreaking and hopeful. It is about endings and beginnings. Most of all, it is about unconditional love. 
"Children who are deaf and can never hear or say the words I love you feel love. Children who are born with no limbs or who lose their arms and can't hug still feel love. Love is felt beyond words and touch. Love is energy. Love is God." [Love Anthony, pg 145]
 *
In her research, Lisa Genova had this to say in her author's note, which has really stuck with me:
After talking with parents, physicians, and therapists and reading as much as I could about autism for the past two years, here's what I've come to believe: 
The spectrum is long and wide, and we're all on it. Once you believe this, it becomes easy to see how we're all connected. [Love Anthony, pg 306]

For more information about the author, Lisa Genova, and her book visit her website.


© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Monday, October 10, 2016

Where Is your Bookmark: A Dark and Stormy Murder (TBR List Winner)

Thank you to everyone who voted in my October TBR List Poll! The results are coming to you a bit late after a rather busy weekend. My brother and his wife were in town visiting, and I wasn't able to get to the computer. 

My TBR List is a meme hosted by the awesome Michelle at Because Reading. It’s a fun way to choose a book from your TBR pile to read. The 1st Sunday of every month, I will list 3 books I am considering reading and take a poll as to which you think I should read. I will read the winner that month, and my review will follow. While I will attempt to post my review that same month, I make no promises--it may go up the following month. 



October's TBR List choices were all cozy mysteries. Five (20%) of you voted for The Madness of Mercury by Connie Di Marco and another seven (28%) cast votes for The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum by Kirsten Weiss. Julia Buckley's A Dark and Stormy Murder won by an overwhelming thirteen votes (52%).


I am looking forward to read it this month. Thank you again for voting! I thought I would go ahead and give you (and me) a look into A Dark and Stormy Murder. The temptation to take a peek is too great. I will be starting the book as soon as I finish my current read.



Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a book they are reading or thinking about reading soon. It is also where I share my first impressions about the book I am sharing.

I was immersed in The Lost Child, one of my favorite Camilla Graham novels, when an unlikely phone call changed my life.
In my quiet living room, things were placid: I sat on my couch in blue jeans, a sweatshirt, and fuzzy socks, cuddling my sleeping cat Lestrade, whose large body practically warmed my entire right side. In the book, things were tense: it was dusk, and the Eiffel Tower gleamed gold in the background. 

Every Tuesday, Jenn from Books And A Beat hosts Teaser Tuesdays at which time participants grab their current read, open to a random page, and share two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page while avoiding any spoilers.


Teaser from 16% of A Dark and Stormy Murder:
I stood up and took a step back, suddenly horrified to be touching him. I could already hear the sirens blaring; Camilla's call had gotten a quick response.  

What do you think? Would you keep reading?  


What are you reading at the moment?  Is it anything you would recommend?



© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Wednesday, October 05, 2016

Bookish Thoughts: Fractured by Catherine McKenzie

I'm still not certain what it was that made me begin my daily morning vigil at the front windows. 
~ Opening of Fractured


Fractured by Catherine McKenzie
Lake Union Publishing, 2016
Fiction; 360 pgs

Fractured started out slow for me, one of those novels that creeps forward, seemingly innocent at first and yet you know it will not stay that way. Told in alternating viewpoints of bestselling crime novelist Julie Prentice and her neighbor John Dunbar and at varying times in the timeline, there is some foreshadowing and subtle reveals as the novel is unfolds.

Julie and her family moved to Cincinnati to get away from a stalker who had been harassing and terrorizing Julie since her novel was published. She hoped the quiet and quaint neighborhood of Mount Adams would be the ideal place to settle down again and work on her second novel. The reader gets the sense that Julie is on edge, and becoming even more so as the novel progresses. Just how reliable a narrator is she? Is she paranoid? Is she attention seeking? Is there really someone after her? Is it possible her stalker has found her? All of these questions come up when new incidents  of harassment begin to disrupt Julie's life. It doesn't help that the neighborhood's "well meaning" and overly involved mother hen takes an instant dislike to Julie.

Neighbors John and Julie hit it off from the start. They both enjoy running and so take up running together in the mornings. John is a seemingly happily married man with two children. His wife is a successful prosecutor whose ire is raised when Julie is involved with an incident involving her son. It doesn't help that the John and Julie seem to spend a lot of time together, however innocent John claims it to be.

In many ways, Fractured is a study in marriage and family and how not everything is how it appears, even to those within the relationship. Both Julie and John appear to have strong relationships with their spouses, and yet, under the pressure of neighborhood gossip, growing tension, and real or perceived threats, we can see the cracks forming and growing. We see this in the relationships of other characters in the novel as well which ties into the overreaching themes in the novel.

Author Catherine McKenzie knows how to subtly build tension, teasing the readers with every page turned, revealing a little at a time. There is a lot going on under the surface. I do wish a couple of the threads had been more prominent, but ultimately, I think Fractured was a satisfying read. The novel was not quite the thriller I was expecting. Just the same, I found Fractured to be not only suspenseful, but another example of Catherine McKenzie's ability to tell a good layered story.


To learn more about Catherine McKenzie and her books, please visit the author's website. You can also find the author on GoodreadsFacebook, and Twitter.

I hope you will check out what others had to say about Fractured on the TLC Book Tours route!



Many thanks to the TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to be a part of this book tour.  Review copy provided by publisher for an honest review.






© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Monday, October 03, 2016

Where Is Your Bookmark? (10/04/2016)

If you haven't already, please take time a minute to vote for my October TBR List Book of the Month!



Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a book they are reading or thinking about reading soon. It is also where I share my first impressions about the book I am sharing.

YOUNG GIRL WANTED - GOOD WAGE. Well-to-do man seeking a housekeeper who is matrimonially minded. Room and board offered. Reply to box-holder 4827.
I handed the newspaper back to Mrs. Headison. "I suppose you replied to the box-holder?" 
She nodded briskly. "I did, posing as a girl who had just come to town from Buffalo, with experience not in housekeeping, but in dancing, and with aspirations for the stage. We can all imagine what he must have made of that." 

Every Tuesday, Jenn from Books And A Beat hosts Teaser Tuesdays at which time participants grab their current read, open to a random page, and share two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page while avoiding any spoilers.


Teaser from 20% of Lady Cop Makes Trouble:
"What I was trying to say," I nearly shouted, making them both take a step back, "was that I let an inmate escape tonight."
"You didn't!" Fleurette gasped. 
"Of course she didn't." Norma said. 
"I did."

What do you think? Would you keep reading?  

I just barely started reading Lady Cop Makes Trouble by Amy Stewart, the second in the Kopp Sisters series, based on the life of one of the first female sheriff deputies in the United States. I enjoyed the first in the series, Girl Waits With Gun, quite a bit and am looking forward to reading more of Lady Cop Makes Trouble, in the coming days.

What are you reading at the moment?  Is it anything you would recommend?




© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Saturday, October 01, 2016

Sunday Post: Wrapping Up September & October TBR List Poll

The Sunday Post is hosted by the wonderful Kimba, the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, and gives us all a chance to recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. 

Happy October! Once October hits, the rest of the year seems to go by so fast. I hope you are all enjoying the weekend. What are you up to today?

Mouse had a better week at school. I was so pleased to find all her homework done most days this week before she got home. It's like someone from the afterschool program had read my blog post and took mercy on me. Haha. She even practiced her popcorn letters all on her own!

This past week I got the chance to hear Regina Louise, author of Somebody's Someone speak at a work event. She is a dynamic speaker with a powerful message. I don't think there was a dry eye in the auditorium when she was done talking.


In the Mail This Week(I know not bookish, but I had to share anyway.)


A birthday present from my mother-in-law, 
painted by my mother-in-law.


Wrapping Up September: 

Books Read/Listened To: 5
  • Blame It On the Cowboy by Delores Fossen
  • Fractured by Catherine McKenzie
  • The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
  • Naked in Death by J.D. Robb (Audio)
  • The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman
I am smitten with Genevieve Cogman's series featuring Irene, a Librarian spy and her apprentice Kai. Of the two books I read by her this past month, The Masked City was my favorite.


What I Am Reading:  I am in the middle of Rich Zahradnik's A Black Sail, the third in the Coleridge Taylor mystery series set in 1976 New York. I enjoy hitting the pavement with crime reporter Taylor as he tries to get to the truth of whatever story he's chasing, and this time is no different.


What Am I Listening To: I am just over halfway through Glory in Death by J.D. Robb, narrated by Susan Erickson. I have the third in the series in audio too, but think I will take a break after this one.


What I Am Watching:  I really liked this past week's episode of Fear of the Walking Dead. I admit I am not a big fan of Travis, but I appreciated his frustration with his son in the episode. I was happy to see Code Black is back. I do not think any episode has ever left me dry-eyed. My daughter and I are watching Voice together this season (thanks to the DVR). I have only ever seen a season once before--about a year or so ago. Does anyone else watch it? I am not big on reality television, but I don't mind this one.


Around the Blogosphere:

This Past Week In Reading Mews:



Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

Do you encourage other reading friends to start a blog or at least put their thoughts/reviews on public reading sites such as Goodreads, Amazon, etc?(submitted by Elizabeth

My book blogging is not something I talk about much with those outside of the blogging community. I am very shy about my blog and do not even talk about it with my family (other than my husband who used to blog himself). So, no. I cannot say I encourage other reading friends to blog or write reviews. My reader friends who are not already bloggers tend to fall into two categories: they are just casual readers or they are heavy duty readers who consider review writing too much like a chore they'd rather not bother with. However, if I thought a reader friend was leaning in that direction, I would jump at the chance to encourage them and help them in any way I could.

What about you? Have you encouraged other reading friends to start a blog or review books?

*

Help me decide what book from my TBR collection I should read next:


My TBR List is a meme hosted by the awesome Michelle at Because Reading. It’s a fun way to choose a book from your TBR pile to read. The 1st Sunday of every month, I will list 3 books I am considering reading and take a poll as to which you think I should read. I will read the winner that month, and my review will follow. While I will attempt to post my review that same month, I make no promises--it may go up the following month. 



For some reason, October feels like the perfect month for cozy mysteries. I can't explain why. Most people are running for books that have the scare or creep factor, while I want to curl up on the couch under a blanket, a mug of hot chocolate in hand, and lose myself in a cozy. I thought I would enlist your help in choosing my October cozy read.

Here are my choices:


A Dark and Stormy Murder (A Writer's Apprentice Mystery #1) by Julia Buckley 
 Goodreads Synopsis:  
Camilla Graham’s bestselling suspense novels inspired Lena London to become a writer, so when she lands a job as Camilla’s new assistant, she can’t believe her luck. Not only will she help her idol craft an enchanting new mystery, she’ll get to live rent-free in Camilla’s gorgeous Victorian home in the quaint town of Blue Lake, Indiana.

But Lena’s fortune soon changes for the worse. First, she lands in the center of small town gossip for befriending the local recluse. Then, she stumbles across one thing that a Camilla Graham novel is never without—a dead body, found on her new boss’s lakefront property.

Now Lena must take a page out of one of Camilla’s books to hunt down clues in a real crime that seems to be connected to the novelist’s mysterious estate—before the killer writes them both out of the story for good...


The Madness of Mercury (Zodiac Mystery #1) by Connie Di Marco 

Goodreads Synopsis:  
San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti's life is turned upside down when she becomes the target of the city's newest cult leader, Reverend Roy of the Prophet's Tabernacle. Driven out of her apartment in the midst of a disastrous Mercury retrograde period, she takes shelter with a client who's caring for two elderly aunts. One aunt appears stricken with dementia and the other has fallen under the spell of the Reverend Roy. To add to the confusion, a young man claiming to be a long lost nephew arrives. The longer he stays, the more dangerous things become. Is the young man truly a member of the family? Can astrology confirm that? Julia's not sure, but one thing she does know is that Mercury wasn't merely the messenger of the gods—he was a trickster and a liar as well.


The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum by Kirsten Weiss 
Goodreads Synopsis:

When Maddie Kosloski’s career flatlines, she retreats to her wine-country hometown for solace and cheap rent. Railroaded into managing the local paranormal museum, she’s certain the rumors of its haunting are greatly exaggerated. But a new ghost may be on the loose. A fresh corpse in the museum embroils Maddie in murders past and present.

With her high school bully as one of the officers in charge, Maddie doubts justice will be served. When one of her best friends is arrested, she’s certain it won’t be.

Maddie grapples with ghost hunters, obsessed taxidermists, and the sexy motorcyclist next door as outside forces threaten. And as she juggles spectral shenanigans with the hunt for a killer, she discovers there truly is no place like home.

Which one do you think I should read?



I hope you all have a great week! Happy Reading!


© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.